The Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj Narratives and Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy: A Critical Study of Miguel Asín Palacios’s Influence Hypothesis

Abstract

Italy maintained close historical and civilizational ties with the Islamic world during the Middle Ages. It was therefore among the Western countries with the strongest links to the Near East. Arabic culture and Eastern languages received substantial attention through translation and publication. This exchange fostered an intellectual revival and an exceptional literary experience in Europe.

This study examines the Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj narratives in relation to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. It offers a critical assessment of Miguel Asín Palacios’s hypothesis of influence. The discussion focuses on the three parts of Dante’s poem: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. It rereads the work through the thesis advanced by the Spanish Arabist Miguel Asín Palacios. In particular, it considers whether Dante drew on the miracle of the Isrāʾ and Miʿrāj and on Islamic literary heritage, including the writings of Ibn ʿArabī and Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī. The study also provides a balanced critique of Palacios’s method. It reviews the scholarly controversy surrounding his hypothesis and later discoveries, such as the Book of Muhammad’s Ladder. It concludes by identifying directions for future research in this field.